Rotary internal-combustion engine.



N0. 650,66l. Patented May 29, I900. V. R. STEWART.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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No. 650,66l. I Patented May 29, i900. v. n. STEWART.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets8heat 2.

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iiihII .VICTOR R. STEWART, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

ROTARY mrsemAt-comeusrnoa ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION foriining part of Letters Patent No 650,661, dated May 29, 1900.

Application filed February 1, 1899, Serial Not 704,260. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR R. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county ofVanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to engines or motors of that class wherein explosive charges are employed as the source'of power, the object of the invention being to provide amotor of continuous power in which the explosive medium before ignition does not come in contact with the exhaust-gases or products of combustion.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the engine on the line a b, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view. Fig.3 is a View of the gear side. Fig. 4 is a smaller view of one end withoutgear.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The side plates 1 and the end plates 2, bolted to the casting 3, form the casing of the engine, in which rotates the cylinder 4 on the main shaft 5. The said cylinder has abutments 6 for receiving the force of the explosion, which fit the interior of the main compartment 7, except past the exhaust-ports 8 to the doors 9, where the casing is set away from the said abutments to lessen the friction and prevent compressing of the exhaust behind the said doors. compartment 7 is cooled by air from the inlets 11, the said air passing out the exhaustports 8.

Apart from the main compartment 7 are the sub explosion-chambers 12. The engine may be constructed in a simpler form by having only one of the said subchambers or in a more complex form by having more subchambers, the openings from the said subchambers and the exhaust-ports 8 being placed at regular intervals in the main compartment 7 and the number of the abutments 6 increased or de-.

creased to correspond. The said subchambers have oscillating doors 9 opening into the main compartment 7. The said doors are hinged at one end to the casing of the engine and rest on the cylinder 4 at the other end, thereby separating the explosive charge from exhaust of the said subchambers. The interior of the main the exhaust of the main compartment 7, and are oscillated by contact of the free end with the cam-like face of the said cylinder, applied 5 5 by the springs 13, (shown in Fig. 4,) attached to the arms 1i on the pivot ends of the said doors, on the exterior of the engine, and are regulated so as to separate the explosive mixture before ignition from the previous combustion.

10 in Fig. 1 represents springs placed in the cylinder 4, behind the abutments 6, for lessening the shocks caused by the doors 9 striking the said cylinder.

15 represents pistons alternately occupying portions of the subchambers 12 on. either side '1 of the openings into the main compartment 7 and expel the exhaust-gases from the said subchambers through the exhaust-ports 24; The said pistons are reciprocated by cams or triangular eccentrics 19 in Fig. 3, which are surrounded by rectangular yokes 29, attached to the rods 30, connected by arms 26 and shafts 27 to the piston-rods 16, the arms 31 or fixed guides being used to keep the shafts in line. The said eccentrics are geared to the main shaft 5, so as to give the said pistons in succession a single up or down stroke for each explosion and hold them at rest during the first part of the combustion. At the ends of the subchambers 12 are puppet-valves 17 for closing the inlets 28 of the explosive mixture and oscillating valves 18 for controlling the The said oscillating valves are operated by cams 20, oscillating the arms 25, attached to the pivot ends of the said valves, and open the exhaustports 24 for the discharge of the pistons 15. The said cams are geared to the main shaft 5 and for convenience may be placed on the same bearings as the eccentrics 19, as shown in Fig. 3, connection with the lower valves being made by means of the levers 29.

' The igniters 21 are placed in the casing at the center of each subchamber l2 and geared to the main shaft 5, so as to explode the charges of their respective subchambers as each one of the abutments 6 clears the door of that subchamber. The drawings show a ro- I60 tary electric igniter in which a contact-point 33, surrounded by a non conductive sub stance and revolving in a nonconductive ring 35, wipes another contact-point 34;, attached to the casing of the engine; but other forms of igniters worked mechanically from the main shaft could also be used, the igniter forming no part of my present invention. The said gear is set away from the casing of the engine to allow for a water-jacket (Shown in Fi 1.)

The proportion of the length of the engine to its width may be more or less, if desired, than is shown in the accompanying drawings.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary internal-combustion engine, a cylindrical main compartment 7 having induction and exhaust ports, a cylinder 4: having abutments (3, a main shaft 5 on which the said cylinder rotates within the said main compartment,sub explosion-chambers 12,i11to which the explosive medium is introduced and ignited, having ports 32, opening into the main compartment 7 through which the force of the explosion is applied to the abutments 6, doors 9 for closing the ports 32, igniters 21 placed in the casing of the engine so as to explode the charges of the subchambers 12, induction-ports in the said subchambers for the explosive medium, and exhaust-ports 21 for the exhaust of the said subchambers, valves 17 for closing the induction-ports 28, valves 18 for closing the exhaust-ports 2-1, cams 20 geared to the main shaft 5, for operating the exhaust-valves 18,cams or eccentrics 19 geared to the said main shaft, for reciprocating the pistons 15, and reciprocating pistons 15 within the subchambers 12, for expelling the exhaust of the said subchambers, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary internal-combustion engine, a cylindrical main compartment 7 having induction and exhaust ports, a cylinder 4 having abutmcnts 6, a main shaft 5 on which the said cylinder rotates within the said main compartment, sub explosion-chambers 12, into which the explosive medium is introduced and ignited, having ports 32, opening into the main compartment 7, through which. the explosive force is applied to the abutments 6, doors 9 for closing the ports 32, igniters 21 placed in the casing of the engine so as to explode the charges of the subchambers 12, in duction-ports 28 in the said subchambers, check-valves 17 for closing the inductionports 28, reciprocating pistons 15 within the subehambers 12, for expelling the exhaust of the said subchambers, cams or eccentrics 19, geared to the main shaft 5, for reciprocating the pistons 15, cams 20 also geared to the main shaft, for operating the exhaust-valves 18, and oscillating valves 18 for closing the exhaustports 24 of the subchambers 12, substantially as described.

. 3. In a rotary internal-combustion engine, a casing having a cylindrical main compartment 7 provided with induction and exhaust ports, and sub explosion-chambers 12 into which the explosive medium is introduced and ignited, also having induction and exhaust ports, igniters 21 placed in the casing of the engine so as to explode the charges of the said subchambers, reciprocating pistons 15 within the subchambers 12, a main shaft 5 passing through the main compartment 7, a cam or eccentric 10 geared to the said main shaft for reciprocating the pistons 15, a revoluble cylinder 4- mounted on the main shaft 5 within the said main compartment and having abutments (3, doors 9 for closing the induction ports 32 of the said main compartment 7, hinged to the casing of the engine at one end and operated by contact of the free end with. the cylinder 4, and the spring 10, placed in the said cylinder behind the said abutments, and coming in contact with the free end of the door 9, before the said door in oscillating strikes the said cylinder, so as to lessen the shocks caused by the said door striking the said cylinder, substantially as described.

VICTOR R. STEWART. \Vitncsses:

P. A. STEWART, F. Quin YOUNG. 

